Tory Boundary Changes Will Harm Democracy - MP

Banff & Buchan MP Dr Eilidh Whiteford has submitted her response to the Boundary Commission for Scotland’s Sixth Review of UK Parliament Constituencies.

Proposals from the Tory/Lib Dem London Government will see the number of Scottish MPs reduced from the present 59 to 52 and constituencies made much larger as a result.

Commenting, Dr Whiteford said:

“I have concerns regarding the size of the constituencies being proposed for Scotland, both in terms of numbers of electors and geographical area. The reduction in the number of elected MPs takes place in a context where they are already outnumbered by unelected members of the House of Lords. I fear fewer MPs serving unwieldy constituencies will only serve to make elected representatives more remote from their constituents.”

Regarding the new boundaries proposed for Banff & Buchan, which sees Ellon and surrounding areas move into the constituency, Dr Whiteford continued:

“Insofar as there will be changes, then reuniting the communities of Buchan into the same constituency makes sense.

“The communities of Buchan, from Fraserburgh to Ellon and from Turriff to Peterhead, were part of the same constituency for nearly a hundred years, so it is logical to use what worked well in the past as a blueprint for trying to make these changes work.”

Banffshire & Buchan Coast MSP Stewart Stevenson added:

“Community ties and historic connections are important in defining constituencies.

“I argued successfully when the Scottish Parliament constituencies were being reviewed that it would be quite wrong to name a new constituency stretching westward to Buckie “Buchan Coast”. The eventual name, Banffshire & Buchan Coast, is far more reflective of the communities which make up the constituency.

“Similarly, for the Westminster constituency, the opportunity has arisen to reunite historic Buchan and I am pleased that the Boundary Commission have recognised that with their initial proposals.”

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Whiteford Appeal Over Farepak 'Nightmare Of Christmas Past'

AFTER FIVE YEARS IT IS TIME FOR A FAIR DEAL FOR FAREPAK FAMILIES

SNP Work and Pensions spokesperson and local MP Eilidh Whiteford has issued a Christmas appeal to the UK Government calling for compensation for Farepak families, who are still waiting for reparation five years after the collapse of the Christmas saving scheme.

Comparing the UK Government’s response to bailing out the banks with Farepak, Dr Whiteford has written to Business Secretary Vince Cable, asking why 20,000 Scottish customers who lost their Christmas savings in 2006 – including many in Banff & Buchan - are still out of pocket.

Commenting, Eilidh said:

“The UK Government bent-over-backwards to bail out the banks, and is rightly compensating customers of Equitable Life but hasn’t found a single penny for the Farepak families.

“It is five years since Farepak collapsed, but that nightmare of Christmas past is still being felt by many low income families. Savers are likely to recover just 5p in the pound, while the final bill for the administrators and their legal advisers has already exceeded £8 million.

“It is simply disgraceful that, years after the company collapsed, that customers are still waiting for their money back.

“The UK Government needs to bring forward compensation for these families, particularly given that it was its failure to secure adequate consumer protection through regulation that allowed the Farepak Christmas crisis to happen.

“UK Ministers should step in without further delay to secure compensation for those who lost out so badly.”

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Dr Eilidh Whiteford MP Delivers Christmas Encouragement To Royal Mail Posties At Peterhead Delivery Office

Banff & Buchan MP Eilidh Whiteford has visited Royal Mail’s Peterhead Delivery Office to pass on best Christmas wishes and encouragement to the postmen and women at their busiest time of year.

Eilidh was shown round the Delivery Office by local Delivery Office Manager Garry Saunders and was introduced to all the postmen and women who are working hard doing their bit to sort and deliver the area’s share of the estimated total Scottish Christmas postbag of over 180 million items.

Commenting, Eilidh said:

Kevin Thom; Eilidh Whiteford MP;
James Whyte; Garry Saunders (l to r)

“It was great to meet the hard-working Royal Mail postmen and women at Peterhead Delivery Office and to see at first hand just how much effort they put into delivering the Christmas post for people at this time of year.

“Posties do such an important job at this time of year and I like to thank them for their efforts and wish them all the best over the busy festive period.”

Garry Saunders, Royal Mail Delivery Office Manager at Peterhead said:

“Christmas is the busiest time of year, and our people really do pull out all the stops to deliver the Christmas mailbag. We are pleased that Eilidh came along to witness the hard work that goes on behind the scenes.”

He added:

“The postal staff do a fantastic job at this time of year to ensure that friends and families stay in touch through their Christmas greetings and gifts. And as usual, we urge our customers to post early so that friends and family have longer to enjoy their Christmas greetings!”

It is also vital that people remember the last posting dates for mail. These are:

• Tuesday 20 December for 1st Class items
• Saturday 17 December for 2nd Class items
• Thursday 22 December for Special Delivery items
• Monday 12 December for airmail items to Western Europe
• Friday 9 December for Eastern Europe, the USA, Canada and Japan
• Monday 5 December for mail to the rest of the world

To help Royal Mail at its busiest time of the year, customers are being encouraged to take a few simple steps:

• Post early – to help Royal Mail spread the workload, post early and order presents early. The last posting dates this Christmas are: December 17 for 2nd Class mail; December 20 for 1st Class mail; December 22 for Special Delivery
• Use a postcode – A clearly addressed card or parcel, with a postcode, helps Royal Mail sort the item more efficiently
• Use Special Delivery – For valuable packages and parcels guarantee delivery, Royal Mail’s Special Delivery service is recommended, This means your gift is tracked, traced and insured against loss
• Parcelforce Worldwide’s Express services – These offer fast international delivery across the world from next working day, and the Scheduled service takes from three working days. Available to 240 countries worldwide, both are ideal for sending valuable and treasured items across the globe. For more information visit www.parcelforce.com
• For more information about Christmas with Royal Mail visit: http://www.royalmail.com/ or call 08457 740 740.

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Fisheries Talks Underline Need For Scottish Voice In Europe

SNP Fisheries Spokeswoman, Dr Eilidh Whiteford MP said the outcome of the EU fisheries talks underlined the damage done to Scotland’s relationship with the European Union by the behaviour of the UK Government.

Commenting, Dr Whiteford said:

“Scotland’s Fisheries Minister Richard Lochhead worked through the night to ease the pressure on the Scottish fishing fleet but it is clear more could have been achieved if Scotland had started from a stronger position at the talks.

“There can be no doubt that the irresponsible political posturing of the UK Government made securing the concessions we needed at these fisheries talks more difficult.

“An independent Scotland would be able to take our own seat at the top table and negotiate the best deal for Scotland.”

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